Ben-Gvir, Smotrich banned from Spain, set to be banned from all Schegen countries

Spain has banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced during a press conference on Tuesday.

A short time later, Haaretz reported it had learned that the two ministers, who are Israeli Prime Minister's coalition partners, are expected to be officially added to the Schengen Information System as persons barred from entering the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Haaretz was told by a source familiar with the matter that this move would mean that the two ministers, whose comments inciting genocide were cited in the International Court of Justice's decision to adopt South Africa's case against Israel, will be automatically banned from entering the whole Schengen area, which includes almost all the EU countries (except for Cyprus and Ireland) as well as Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and Lichtenstein.

On Monday, Spain unveiled nine measures the country would be taking in efforts to bring an end to Israel's devastating military actions in Gaza, including an arms embargo, partial import ban, and an entry ban on "all those people participating directly in the genocide, the violation of human rights and war crimes in the Gaza Strip."

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would be sanctioned and "not be able to enter Spanish territory," Albares announced on Tuesday.

The two ministers, who have both openly called for the mass killing and displacement of Palestinians, are already the target of sanctions by Western countries including Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovenia.

Israel announced it would impose sanctions on two Spanish ministers, and accused Spain’s government of advancing antisemitic policies, Times of Israel reports. Spain’s Foreign Ministry recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations in response to the antisemitism charge.